


Heir to the Throne

by hatebeat



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-14
Updated: 2013-01-14
Packaged: 2017-11-25 12:39:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/639000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hatebeat/pseuds/hatebeat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko rejoices and laments the birth of his newborn child.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heir to the Throne

**Author's Note:**

> Written 2012.

He was stuck in a meeting. That alone was infuriating enough, without the extenuating circumstances. Of course, he couldn't get out of the meeting; he had no official excuse. Nobody could know about what was going on. It was killing him to keep it a secret.

Even his Uncle had cautioned him, though, in written correspondance. They had been in touch, of course, even if Uncle was far away in Ba Sing Se. Even Uncle said...

It was best not to tell anybody.

They weren't married, and she wasn't Fire Nation. It was best not to tell anybody. He was Fire Lord. He had duties to uphold.

Even if Uncle said so... that wasn't something Zuko could fully believe in.

 

But he was stuck in a meeting, and he knew right now, she was... She was going through hell, wasn't she? But she was strong. He had sent midwives to her, only ones from the most trusted of noble families. She had been staying on Ember Island for the past month, only because...

Well, it seemed that in her last month of pregnancy, even being an Earth Goddess was a bit much. Not that she would ever admit it.

She never fully admitted that the child was his, either, but. Zuko knew. Zuko had been... her first.

 

It was several hours later when he arrived at his family's estate on Ember Island. For years, nobody had been there, except for the two of them. It wasn't as if he had any family to speak of anymore, but.

Now, perhaps he did.

Zuko didn't knock- it was his estate, after all. He opened the doors, but it largely still appeared as if no one was home. Still, he knew better. She would have sent all the servants away- the cooks, the maids, everyone. Even the midwives. The baby had already been delivered, right? Of course in Toph's mind, they were unnecessary by now.

Zuko wasn't sure that was okay! A newborn baby! Of course she would need... things! Zuko wasn't sure what, but...

"I hear you over there, Sparky," her voice called out. "Don't just lurk in the entryway, get in here already."

Zuko couldn't help smiling, making his way into her room. There she was, though. He almost couldn't expect the sight he saw before him, except... He had really had several months, right? Several months to prepare for this...

His kid.

He stepped carefully into the room, not quite sure what to say, slowly, taking it all in slowly.

"It's a girl," she said, her voice sounding somewhat flat to him. Always sarcastic, always... afraid to let herself be vulnerable, even with him. Even after they had slept together. Even after they had slept together _several_ times.

Even though he loved her. 

She probably didn't know that, though.

"She's beautiful," he said after a moment, finally close enough to really look at the small, sleeping bundle of blankets and a face lying in Toph's arms. He actually couldn't believe it. He wished Uncle was here! Uncle would definitely love this child, love that it was Zuko's...

Zuko would love this child. Definitely.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," he said after a moment. He wanted to hold her, but... she was asleep. So he shouldn't, right? "I couldn't get away."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it," she told him, sounding tough, but at the same time, Zuko could tell. He knew her well enough. She sounded _tired_.

Although she was one of the best benders he had ever met, he was suddenly in awe again of her, all over again. She had created this... this _child_. It was his, it was _theirs_ , and...

It was amazing! Wasn't it?

He sat down next to her, looking down on their daughter. Even though she'd never admit it, she scooted toward him, even if it was just slightly. Zuko would never mention that, but he put his arm around her. She was amazing! He wanted to hold... his daughter.

His _daughter_.

"What should we name her?" he asked quietly, a little bit of a laugh in his voice. He was just... he was happy! This was his child.

"Her name is Lin," Toph told him, very matter-of-factly.

"Lin? That's such an Earth Kingdom name," Zuko laughed. But. That was potentially a problem...

"So what? You got a problem with the Earth Kingdom?"

"You know I don't," he told her. "But she is... the heir to the Fire Nation throne."

"She _might be_ the heir to the throne. You don't even know that yet!" Toph exclaimed, sounding a bit exasperated. 

Zuko wanted to point out that she definitely was, but he also knew... Toph was right. This child... this _Lin_ of theirs... If she wasn't a firebender, then she couldn't succeed him. No matter what, she would lose her birthright. It wasn't just on the chance that she was an earthbender- certainly not, as Toph was a better bender than Zuko was any day- but if she was a non-bender altogether, she would lose her birthright immediately.

Still, in Zuko's mind, this child, their Lin, she was the next Firelord. Zuko would be sure of it.

"Can I hold her?" Zuko asked in a hushed voice. This was just too much- it was, like, magical or something!

"Not a chance, Sparky," Toph said, but she was laughing at him. He could tell. 

Zuko _knew_ her.

 

===

 

He wasn't prepared for it. Nothing could have prepared him for it, honestly. It was so... out of nowhere! Honestly, how could she do this to him? It wasn't _fair_.

"You can't change my mind, Sparky, and that's final. Just lemme go already!" she yelled at him, stomping her foot into the ground to launch more of her belongings into a bag.

"This is insane. You don't have to leave. I don't _want_ you to leave," he pleaded with her. It had been a whole _two years_. Sure, she had been living on Ember Island the whole time, and he had been in the palace... and he understood, she didn't like staying in one place for so long, but...

"She's an _earthbender_ , Zuko."

He knew she was serious when she called him by his name.

"So what? She's still my daughter!"

"She looks nothing like you. She can't firebend. She can't be your _heir_ ," Toph sighed at him, and her tone actually _hurt_ , because it was so bitter, like this was somehow his fault... It wasn't his fault at all! He didn't want them to leave!

Was this because he hadn't married her? But... she didn't want to marry him anyway! ...Right?

"Who cares about any of that? Whether she can be Firelord or not... She's still my daughter, Toph." Zuko clenched his hands into fists. He was keeping the fire at bay, but his palms were steaming. He would never harm her. He loved her!

She didn't love him, maybe, but...

Lin did. Right? Lin was his daughter. Lin... they had been together here for two years. Lin loved him, right? Lin would certainly miss him.

Toph was finished packing, though. She stamped her foot into the ground and her bags came right to her. All that was left...

Toph scooped Lin into her arms.

"She is your daughter. But it would be better if... if she wasn't your daughter anymore," Toph said, not looking at him, of course, but not even _facing_ him.

"Toph..."

"I'm going, Zuko. It's better for her if you pretend you're not her father, at all. Don't you want her to be able to live a good life?"

"I didn't think I was ruining her life in the first place..."

"Well you _are_ ," Toph told him, her tone suddenly biting. "Maybe you can see her in the future. Later on. After your _new_ heir is born. I don't know. We're going. We... we _have_ to go."

 

Zuko didn't see them after that. For a long time, he was miserable. For a long time after, he ended up visiting his sister in her prison deep underground. Every day he thought about Lin, wondered where the hell Toph had taken her, but.

He also thought of Toph. Not just his daughter, but also the woman he loved.


End file.
